Plenty of Man for me

I don't know why I think it's so cool that I did my very first track day on a 250. Maybe I should have felt inferior. After all, my company included an RC8, a Daytona and a Panigale S Tricolore. Leather everywhere, and a reasonable amount of testosterone considering the 50+ crowd.

Me and my pit crew.

I was fortunate to have been invited along for a private day by a friend who's a member of The Club atPutnam Park, and, so, yes, there was just the four of us on the track. (And some guy in a Porche, but not at the same time, and who cares about him, anyway).

I got passed multiple times on the 1.9 mile course - in a 20 minute session. I got passed in turns, and of course in the home straight. (I saw a top speed that day of 80mph*, and I heard stories of 157). So, yeah, I got passed.

I'm never going to impress anyone else on a motorcycle, and the best thing is, I don't want to. I impress myself with the way my leather suit feels, the sound of my bike, getting just a little on the edge of my tires, and staying upright**. Oh, I did get progressively faster coming out of turn 10 (45 mph when I got the bike stood up, thank you very much). But who's counting.

'Lil Trip is mad at me, but I think he's better for staying in the garage today. If I have a chance to get to the track again some day, and something tells me I will, I think I'll stick with my little CBR for a pretty long time. Like Ashley always says: power comes in small packages. And I've got a pretty long way to go before I master everything he has to give me.

'Lot's off good advice at the track.

*I would like to note that there was a reasonable headwind that day, the first part of the straight is slightly uphill, and I don't have a pipe. Ok, ok, I was flat on the tank, but give the little guy a break.

**I did have a little moment coming out of turn 10 during one stint. I hit the rev limiter, lost my senses momentarily, and shifted down instead of up. The little CBR gives a pretty good jiggle when the suspension gets thrown in the wrong direction, but it wasn't anything near a close call, and the little guy righted himself just fine and kept moving forward.